1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of this invention are related to increasing the input/output of devices such as network switches.
2. Background Art
Increasing demands are being placed on data communications infrastructure. These increasing demands are driven by various factors including the increased bandwidth requirements for Internet usage and for data center demands Many currently available network switches support 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) links. Whereas for some entities one 10 GbE link is adequate for connecting to a larger network, other entities may require multiple of such links to meet their bandwidth demands. Growing bandwidth demands require that technology keeps improving to support higher bandwidth links. The IEEE 802.3ba task force has the objective of standardizing 100 GbE and 40 GbE over the Internet and within the data center. Even higher transmission rates are likely to be standardized in the future.
Transition to higher rate Ethernet links is likely to be gradual. With current technology, 100 GbE requires the multiplexing of 4 different wavelengths. Similarly, currently available routers, switches and servers cannot handle single 100 Gbps or 40 Gbps data streams, and is likely that they will use parallel electrical paths to handle the 100 Gbps or 40 Gbps data; for example, using 10 lanes of 10 GbE.
The IEEE 802.3 Ethernet specification introduces the physical coding sublayer (PCS), a network protocol stack sublayer that defines virtual lanes (VL) which allow for handling changing numbers and bandwidths of optical and electrical links. As GbE technology improves, the bandwidth of the optical and the electrical links are likely to improve at different rates, and the PCS virtual lanes can be utilized to transport traffic over the different types of links and interfaces. However, conventional GbE technology does not adequately address the transport of lower rate data streams from independent sources over higher bandwidth GbE links.
Therefore, methods and systems for efficiently transporting lower rate data streams from multiple sources over the higher bandwidth GbE links are desired.